Long COVID incidence in adults and children between 2020 and 2023: A real-world data study from the RECOVER Initiative

Caution: Preprints are preliminary reports of work that have not been certified by peer review. They should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.

View Preprint on PubMed

Published

April 2024

Journal

Research Square

Abstract

Estimates of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) incidence, also known as Long COVID, have varied across studies and changed over time. We estimated PASC incidence among adult and pediatric populations in three nationwide research networks of electronic health records (EHR) participating in the RECOVER Initiative using different classification algorithms (computable phenotypes). Overall, 7% of children and 8.5%-26.4% of adults developed PASC, depending on computable phenotype used. Excess incidence among SARS-CoV-2 patients was 4% in children and ranged from 4-7% among adults, representing a lower-bound incidence estimation based on two control groups - contemporary COVID-19 negative and historical patients (2019). Temporal patterns were consistent across networks, with peaks associated with introduction of new viral variants. Our findings indicate that preventing and mitigating Long COVID remains a public health priority. Examining temporal patterns and risk factors of PASC incidence informs our understanding of etiology and can improve prevention and management.

Authors

Hannah Mandel, Yun Yoo, Andrea Allen, Sajjad Abedian, Zoe Verzani, Elizabeth Karlson, Lawrence Kleinman, Praveen Mudumbi, Carlos Oliveira, Jennifer Muszynski, Rachel Gross, Thomas Carton, C Kim, Emily Taylor, Heekyong Park, Jasmin Divers, J Kelly, Jonathan Arnold, Carol Geary, Chengxi Zang, Kelan Tantisira, Kyung Rhee, Michael Koropsak, Sindhu Mohandas, Andrew Vasey, Mark Weiner, Abu Mosa, Melissa Haendel, Christopher Chute, Shawn Murphy, Lisa O'Brien, Jacqueline Szmuszkovicz, Nicholas Güthe, Jorge Santana, Aliva De, Amanda Bogie, Katia Halabi, Lathika Mohanraj, Patricia Kinser, Samuel Packard, Katherine Tuttle, Lorna Thorpe, Richard Moffitt

Keywords

Not available